Ask a Gear Guru: What Are the Best Running Shoes for Speedwork?

While most runners will start with one do-it-all shoe, having a couple of models in your running rotation can be beneficial—particularly when it comes to speedwork. You can certainly do speedwork in your everyday trainers, but mixing it up by wearing something a bit lighter and faster can help get you in workout mode and make your training a bit closer to race-day effort and stride. Today, speedwork shoes range from high-stack, bouncy, carbon-plated racers, to lightweight trainers, to something in between.

To help you choose, we gathered up some of our favorites. Check out our top picks for speed work below.

Best Running Shoes For Speedwork 2023

Best Lightweight Trainer: Saucony Kinvara 14

Key Specs:

• Drop: 4mm
• Weight: 6.2 oz
• Plated: no

The Kinvara has been many runners’ go-to choice for years thanks to its lightweight and springy feel. Coming in at only $120, it’s also pretty affordable compared to most other daily trainers. It has a PWRRUN midsole made from a super-light EVA foam that is soft but responsive—allowing you super quick turnover without feeling muddy or weighed down.

Even the upper design keeps minimizing weight at the forefront. Composed of an open mesh, it allows for great breathability—making it a great choice for the summer months—and doesn’t have any obtrusive plastic overlays that can rub or cause hot spots.

Softest Feel: Hoka Mach 5

Key Specs:

• Drop: 5mm
• Weight: 8.2 oz
• Plated: no

While Hokas may not be the first shoes that come to mind when people think of speed, the Mach is actually a great choice for those who crave some up-tempo cushioning. Unlike most Hokas, which employ a full EVA midsole, this one uses a combo of EVA and ProFly+ foam, giving it a snappy but soft ride that is comfortable for long tempos and can still rip out 400s on the track.

This shoe also uses Hoka’s early stage meta-rocker which helps to propel a quick roll-through with every step. Not only can this make the stride feel more efficient, but it can also help to decrease shock and increase turnover.

Best Stability: Brooks Hyperion GTS

Key Specs:

• Drop: 8mm
• Weight: 7.9 oz
• Plated: no

While there is no shortage of speedy shoes out there, the options get much lower when you need something with lateral support. The Hyperion GTS is a great option for runners with both neutral strides and those whose foot rotation strays too far inward or outward. The midsole is made of Brooks DNA Flash foam which gives it a super responsive ride that propels you forward with every step.

On top of the midsole on both sides of the heel, you’ll find a set of firmer-foam guide rails that help to keep the feet and ankles properly aligned with every step, correcting your gait only as much as you need it to. If you aren’t falling out of alignment, it will function as a neutral shoe.

Best Plated Trainer: New Balance SuperComp Trainer 

Key Specs:

• Drop: 6mm
• Weight: 10 oz
• Plated: yes

It used to be that carbon plates and training shoes weren’t used in the same sentence, but lately, that has changed. One of the most popular carbon-plated trainers on the market is the New Balance SuperComp. Lightweight, cushioned, and incredibly responsive, this shoe is a great option to do it all. It has enough cushion to go long but also springs you forward during speedwork.

The soft, bouncy FuelCell foam has an embedded carbon-fiber plate over a cut-out midsole groove, what New Balance calls Energy-Arc, a combination that gives you a great amount of propulsion without feeling too hard and snappy. While it does have a rubberized sole, the traction could be a bit better, especially on wet and slippery surfaces. But if you are using this mainly on road and track it will grip just fine, while being a bit sloppy on sharp turns given the high stack of squishy foam underfoot.

Most Responsive Trainer: Asics NovaBlast 3

Key Specs:

• Drop: 8mm
• Weight: 7.4 oz
• Plated: no

If you want something super bouncy that can take you from your everyday training runs to all-out repeats on the track, this could be the right choice for you. The NovaBlast is designed to be an everyday trainer so it can handle high mileage, but it is also made with a light, incredibly responsive foam that bounces you forward with every step. It has a foam pad in the heel and toe of the shoe for cushioning and a trampoline pod outsole design that increases bounce.

The shoe also has a super breathable upper that is made from recycled mesh, and the flat tongue gives it a snug and streamlined fit that keeps it secure on the foot. Like most Asics, this shoe tends to run a bit narrow, which is great for those who have a slimmer foot—especially in the heel—as it won’t slide around.